Binding Ties
by Shmilly
Summary: Sora can finally reveal his true feelings for Kairi, but little does he realise that Riku still feels the scars of their childhood rivalry. And to make matters worse, an unexpected message from the King calls them to face a new threat...
1. Prologue: Sunset

The sun, reflected on the calm ocean, glistened a thousand times as it slowly set on the distant horizon. Many beautiful shades of pink, red, orange and gold created patterns that danced on the water's surface. Two people sat on the edge of the Destiny Islands' furthest island, reached from the rest of the main islands only by a long wooden bridge. Admiring the view, they shared something more than friendship.

From the largest of the islands, Riku waded in the cool, shallow water and watched as far out on the small island in the distance Sora stood up and balanced himself on the bent palm tree that Riku always used to sit on and look out toward other worlds that he knew were there. The tree extended out over the edge of the island, and at the very end a single Paopu fruit, the shape of a star, hung over the ocean. It was said that if you were to share a Paopu with someone, your hearts would be forever joined.

Sora carefully edged along the trunk, and looked down at the long drop below to the sea. He had dived from here before. But he was not here for diving this time. He wobbled, and the girl still dangling her legs from the island giggled. Far behind, Riku watched as his outstretched hand clutched the stalk of the Paopu fruit. He plucked the star from its branch and carefully made his way back along the palm and hopped onto the island.

He sat back down next to the girl and looked out at the sunset once more, the Paopu held tightly in his folded arms. He edged closer, and the watching Riku began to get more and more frustrated. Turning to look at her, he smiled and broke off a piece of the ripe fruit. He held it up to her face and she opened her mouth. He pushed the fruit inside and let her chew it. He then ate some himself. She smiled back at him. Riku could hardly bear to watch.

Their faces were so close he could feel her breath, smell her beautiful auburn hair. He lay the large Paopu on the ground next to him and put his arm around her. "Now our hearts will always be together, Kairi," he said. She parted her lips and they began to kiss, first tenderly and then more passionately. Riku saw what was happening and kicked the water violently before walking away, tears beginning to form in his eyes.

The sound of his splash was carried a long way in the still night air. It surprised the entwined couple at the distant island and they lost their balance and fell from the edge. They plunged into the now cold water as Riku brushed away his tears and found the Secret Place the three of them had discovered many years ago. Just before he went in, he looked back after hearing a loud splash and, with a satisfied smile, pushed away the overgrown plants and entered.

Back in the water, Sora and Kairi were soaked through. Her wet pink dress was see-through and he held her tight against him. "Come on," he said to her, "we'll go back and get dried out." They began to swim ashore as the sun's dying rays were cast across the water.


	2. Friendship Scars

"_Sora."_

_Riku threw a star-shaped fruit to him._

"_You wanted one, didn't you?"_

"_A Paopu fruit…"_

"_If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each other's lives, no matter what. C'mon, I know you want to try it."_

"_What are you talking-?"_

Back when they were young, Sora and Riku were best friends. As far as Sora was concerned, they still were. But something had changed between them recently. To Sora, it seemed Riku had sort of… grown up. He had become much more serious and quiet than his usual self. It bothered Sora. What had happened to his best friend? Whatever it was, it had happened within the last couple of days.

The three were on the beach, as they were almost every weekend. Sora and Kairi were talking about the essay they had been set that week, while Riku leant against a long branch nearby, looking out to sea, keeping his thoughts to himself. Further along the beach, Tidus and Wakka were playing blitzball as they often did. Nothing seemed out of place.

Kairi went to get a drink. That left Sora and Riku. "Do you want to talk?" asked Sora. Riku was silent for a moment. Then he said, "Let's go out to that small island, the one across the bridge." Sora agreed and they got up and began to walk across the beach. The sun was a brilliant white sphere in the sky and the sea was the brightest blue. As they reached the wooden bridge and began to cross it, Riku said something unexpected. "I thought you ought to know – I saw you and Kairi the other night."

They carried on walking in silence until they reached the island and Riku sat on the palm trunk where Sora had collected the Paopu fruit before. Sora was shocked to know that Riku had been spying on them. He couldn't understand why. "I thought we were best friends," said Riku. "Then I realised. The one thing that held us together would be the one thing that would push us apart." Sora realised he was talking about Kairi. "It was only a matter of time."

"Unfortunately, it came sooner than I had hoped. We both knew each other had feelings for her, but in the end only one of us would have her to ourselves. I couldn't let it be you, but even as I was thinking about how I could get closer to her you were joking, laughing, _being _together more and more. I could see I had already lost, but I couldn't accept it. Then you came out here together that night to watch the sunset, when no-one else was around - except me. I followed you. You shared the Paopu and I finally saw the truth. You had won her heart, and I couldn't take it. I was jealous, I was angry. I saw it right through to the sickening end before I kicked out at the sea and walked away."

"So it was you who made us fall in…"

"Yes. That did make me smile. But it barely took away from what I had learned."

They continued to sit in silence. Then Sora said, "That doesn't stop us being best friends." He looked at Riku, saw the light fading from his eyes. Something was missing, and it killed Sora to know that he was making it stay lost. "I can't stop what's happening between me and Kairi, but I know that we can still be friends. Please, understand."

Riku stood up. "I'm fading, Sora. And this time I am afraid of the darkness. So let's settle this." He pulled two wooden swords from the leaves where they were always hidden and threw one to Sora. "Remember old times, Sora? We'd fight here often, but you could never beat me. So how about this: I win, and I go back into the darkness. You win, and I forget about all this and we're still best friends."

Sora understood. "Alright then. But you know, nothing's really changed between us. It's all in your mind." For the first time in ages, Riku smiled. "Whatever," he said.

Back on the beach, Kairi came back with three drinks, but no-one was waiting. She looked out at the furthest island and saw wooden swords come together with a clash, a fight that really had no limit. She immediately understood what had happened between her two best friends and knew that neither of them would go easy on each other. She walked carefully to the wooden bridge and set down two of the drinks. Then she sat down cross-legged and began to drink hers. She wondered who would win, and hoped no-one would get hurt.

Sora and Riku were fighting viciously, using all their strength and knowledge. This was the best way to let out stress and anger. Suddenly Riku knocked Sora back with a blow to the chest, and as he fell, he saw Kairi watching across the bridge. Filled with a new strength, he jumped back up to block Riku's heavy swing and ran towards the few palm trees at the island's centre. Using his momentum he ran up the tree and flipped back over to come down with a heavy blow that was completely unexpected. Riku barely managed to block but already Sora was coming underneath his sword and slashing with incredible speed.

Riku finally saw a break in Sora's attack and, with both hands on the handle, swung his sword forward. But Sora did something completely incredible. He caught the swing with his bare hands and pressed down on Riku's sword. At the same time he threw his up in the air and flipped over Riku's head. Landing safely behind, he caught the sword and jabbed at Riku's legs. He fell with a blow to the back of the knees, breathing heavily.

"Alright Sora, you win. I was wrong to take your relationship with Kairi so seriously." He laid his sword on the ground in front of him and stood up. Sora accepted the apology and they shook hands and embraced. "I'm so glad you're back, Riku," exclaimed Sora. Back across the bridge, Kairi smiled. "But," he continued as they broke apart, "just to make sure you don't do it again…"

Kairi watched as Sora shoved Riku off the edge and into the sea below. He laughed, and as Riku surfaced she was glad to see him laughing too.

Riku was back.


	3. Whispers in the Dark

It was like déjà vu.

Riku watched from the beach as Kairi and Sora sat together on the furthest island. He had tried to make himself get over their relationship, and it had worked for Sora. But now, when he wasn't there to encourage Riku, the envy came back. This wasn't the way to make him feel better about it. But then, it wasn't for Riku's eyes anyway. He considered going back. But curiosity got the better of him.

He watched as, once again, his two best friends kissed and held each other in the sunset light. But this time, he felt something stronger in the air. Something was going to happen, and whatever it was Riku wasn't going to miss it. He saw them stand up, and ran to hide in the bushes. They walked back across the bridge, talking quietly, and when they reached the end he saw that instead of going in different directions to go home, they were both heading for the Seaside Shack.

Waiting with his ear at the door, Riku heard muffled voices and then more kissing. Disgusted, he quietly climbed onto the roof and padded across it on tiptoe. He needn't have worried. They were too busy to notice anything else. Once he reached the door in the tree that led down some steps to the room where Sora and Kairi were now, he carefully opened it and crept down the first few stairs. His heart thumping against his chest, he slowly and quietly descended until he was just a few steps from the corner. The door at the bottom was ajar, the sounds escaping and burning Riku's ears.

He peered through, and immediately wished he hadn't. His last view before he backed off was a bra on the floor. Neither of them had seen him, but even so, he crept back up the stairs and then ran all the way back to the Secret Place, images flashing in his mind like flares.

In the concealed cave, the friends had discovered a door with no handle or lock, that wouldn't open. On the wall were pictures carved by the younger Sora and Kairi of themselves joined by a star. It was almost like fate. Riku let out a quiet scream. He couldn't take it anymore. He forced himself to calm down, and then walked over to the door.

It now had a keyhole. Summoning his Way to the Dawn keyblade for the first time in ages, he held it outstretched, its tip pointing at it. A light was emitted from the keyblade that poured forth and into the keyhole. There was a loud click that echoed around the Secret Place and the door swung open. The light from within was so bright that Riku had to shield his eyes. As he stepped forward, two voices called out from behind him, "Riku! No!"

But it was too late. Before he had a chance to look back, the light had consumed him.

Riku had not been quiet enough as he had followed Sora and Kairi. They had not noticed him until he had run back up the steps in anguish. Sora opened the door as he pulled on his shirt. He went up the stairs to follow whoever had been spying on them. Kairi put on her bra and shirt again and began to follow Sora. Then she changed her mind and opened the front entrance, just as he was running past. She called out and chased after him.

Kairi pushed aside the overgrowth and went into the Secret Place. In one look she saw Riku and took in what was happening, and with one voice she and Sora called out "Riku! No!"

The door closed. Sora and Kairi stood in stunned silence. Before either of them could do anything, the keyhole faded. Then so did the door. Sora ran forward in disbelief, finding only a stone wall. Running his hands along it, he felt for any way of following Riku, tears already streaming down his face. Kairi pulled him back, also crying, and they embraced each other for a long time.

Then Sora walked over to the wall that he and Kairi had engraved upon so long ago. There was a sharp flint on the floor and a new picture above the others. Riku's face. He fell to his knees, his hand against the picture, and bent over, his body racked with sobs of agony. But he had no more tears to give. Kairi saw the picture too and knelt down to comfort him, but he pushed her away. He let out a long moan that Kairi found hard to bear and then stood up, renewed with energy, and ran all the way home.


	4. Message from a Friend

_Riku was standing over him. "C'mon, Sora. You've got to pull it together."_

"_I looked everywhere for you!"_

"… _I didn't want you to find me."_

Sora wasn't himself the next day. He was depressed and silent, almost like the person Riku had become before their fight. Nothing anyone could say could cheer him up, and even Kairi couldn't make him talk. Of course people had been wondering where Riku was and it was a tricky question for Kairi to answer, but eventually people lay off it when Sora wouldn't talk to them. After the final bell had rung, he packed his bag in silence and walked home on his own.

That evening Sora stood in the shallows looking out to sea. After some time when he still hadn't moved, Kairi approached him. Everyone else had gone. "You know, it's getting quite late Sora." No response. Her hand reached out to gently rub his shoulder but he shrugged it off. "Sora…"

Finally he moved. He bent down to pick up something Kairi hadn't noticed. It was a bottle that had just washed up on the shore. Inside was a roll of parchment. Sora tried to get it out but it was soggy and stuck to the inside of the bottle. He smashed it on a rock and unrolled the message. His eyes lit up and he smiled. Kairi peered over his shoulder and he showed her the letter. "Kairi!" he exclaimed. "We're going to see King Mickey again!"

The letter was from the King, and also from Donald Duck and Goofy. They had travelled together before, and had quickly become close friends. He waited while Kairi read the letter, but then instead of an approval she said, "How are you going to get there?"

Sora was crestfallen. "I hadn't thought of that," he admitted. 'There' was the Royal Castle, in another world.

"Don't worry," said Kairi. "I'm sure we'll think of something."

Every night from when Riku had gone, Sora went back to the Secret Place, hoping that the door would re-appear. Many times Kairi went to keep him company. But after a few weeks, it was obvious that that way was blocked. Sora had gone into another silent mood, but this time he was thoughtful, not depressed.

Finally, he told Kairi to meet him that night at the Seaside Shack. She should bring everything she would need for quite a while. Puzzled, she wondered what would happen if she didn't go, but curiosity got the better of her. At half past eleven, she opened the door and Sora embraced her.

"So you _are _coming then."

"It looks like it, doesn't it?" she said with a smile. "So, what have you come up with?"

"Follow me."

Sora had led her out of the Shack and out towards the cove, where he and Riku had used to race when they were younger. There sitting in the shallows, tied to a tree onshore, was a wooden raft. But it was more than a raft. "Sora, you've been busy," Kairi gasped. It was more of a miniature ship than a raft. Sora pulled down a plank and invited Kairi to climb aboard. As she found herself in a long hallway, Sora untied the boat and walked up the plank, pulling it up and locking it into place behind him.

The hall was lit by glass balls hung from the ceiling at roughly regular intervals, into which Sora had put a single flame. It was surprisingly bright. There were two doors on either side. "The first on the left is the dining room; the second is the washing room, for clothes and plates. On the right the first door is for storage and well… I only had room for one bedroom." Kairi was still in shock. "Oh, and the bedroom has an en-suite toilet and shower too. Enjoy."

It was only when Kairi had unpacked that she realised they were moving.


	5. Journey through the Darkness

They had started out from the Destiny Islands late at night, so Sora allowed Kairi to unpack before he came into the wooden boat's bedroom. She smiled as he came in, but he could see that she was tired. She undressed, unashamed of her nakedness, and pulled on her nightdress. Then she sat down on the mattress Sora had taken from Riku's empty room and stretched out, closing her eyes. A few moments later, Sora gratefully did the same.

He opened his eyes again, and turned to face Kairi. It looked as if she was already asleep. Then she said, "So we're really going to find King Mickey then." She snuggled up to him. There was silence for a moment. "And Riku too?"

"I hope so," Sora replied, and put his arm around her. Just before he closed his eyes the final time, he reached up and extinguished the glass of flame with a _blizzaga _spell. Then he pulled the covers up over them and there was darkness.

Sora was falling. It was pitch black, and yet he could see. Suddenly, a pale beam of pure light filtered the darkness and he realised he was floating, not falling. Far below was a platform made of what appeared to be stained glass, but he has seen these before, long ago. As he gently descended, the image became clearer – it was a huge circle with Kairi in the centre. Around the outside, images of Sora, Riku, Roxas, Naminé and other people connected to Kairi formed a border of faces. The many colours reflected the light in all directions, so that the whole place was thrown into a multi-coloured glow.

The platform was, in fact, stone and extended far into the depths below. Sora lightly landed upright at the centre of the picture, where the light was still white, and realised he was barefoot. It was cold to the touch. A shimmering pathway led ahead into the spectrum, but as he tentatively stepped onto the first transparent step the colours faded. Despite the darkness, light was still reflected on the surface of whatever the path was made of. It was so thin and clear that Sora was afraid he would fall through at any moment.

He safely made it to the second platform, an image of Snow White on top, and saw the next pathway. As he continued past the third, fourth, fifth and sixth platforms, all engraved with images of the Princesses of Heart, he realised he was going up in a spiral. As he reached the final platform, its image of Cinderella still remaining clear as if a huge torch was shining up from within the stone, the way forward ended.

Sora padded to the centre of the tile, and stared out into the gloom. Finally, a narrow spiral staircase extended around him and he began to climb. It seemed as if it had no end, but as he looked up there was another platform above him, suspended in the air with a small ridge at one side that he was steadily moving towards. Pulling himself up, he gasped as it was the biggest yet. But what really hit him was that the picture showed himself. Around the edges were other faces he didn't know, and two keyblades crossed it and met in the middle.

He then realised he had no weapon. Where was the keyblade? He couldn't summon it. Trying everything, it took Sora a couple of panicked minutes to realise that the tips of the crossed keyblades rose up slightly like stands. One of them was empty, but as he walked over to it he realised the other had a keyblade suspended above it that he remembered from somewhere. It was just like the Kingdom Key, except that the handle was silver and the blade was gold, the reverse of his own. He gripped its handle, and immediately the two stands receded into the platform, which began to shake.

Barely keeping his balance, Sora saw that the platform was being tipped to one side and with a sickening feeling he remembered that there was no stone pillar supporting it. As far as he knew, he would plummet into the darkness for eternity. He slipped but managed to keep hold of the keyblade and as he slid downwards he slammed it into the platform, hanging from it as he fell from the edge. The keychain, the same as the Kingdom Key's, caught his eye and he remembered where he had seen the keyblade before: it was King Mickey's!

The Royal Key came free from the platform and Sora fell, fell, fell and this time he wasn't floating. He could feel the wind in his hair and he let out a scream. Finally he hit the ground, hard. It was raining. Odd lights flashed around him. He looked up and somehow found himself at Memory's Skyscraper, at the World That Never Was. At the top he could just make out a figure in a scarlet cloak with a dark green hood. Immediately, he knew what to do.

Brushing his wet hair from his face, Sora took the Royal Key in both hands and ran toward the skyscraper. Bounding up the steps he leapt toward the steep face and kept going. Running up the building, his own Kingdom Key appeared in his left hand and he threw it up, towards the figure in red. The unknown person ran to the edge and threw itself from Memory's Skyscraper. They were suspended for a moment, and Sora could see a long scar from their forehead to their chin, splitting their face in two. Then they plummeted down, caught the Kingdom Key and swung it downward.

Sora raised the Royal Key to meet it and carried on running up the skyscraper. The unknown figure continued falling. Sora kicked off the building and flipped right over to come flying back down. He saw the red cloak shift aside and realised they had stopped in midair. He had barely registered his shock before he was falling past them. He heard an evil laugh, and the figure in red dropped the Kingdom Key. Sora felt it whistle past him and he just managed to catch it with his free hand as the ground came rushing up to meet him.


	6. Royal Rumble

"_What I said back there, about thinking I was better at stuff than you… to tell you the truth, Sora, I was jealous of you."_

"_What for?"_

"_I wished I could live my life the way you do. Just following my heart."_

Sora awoke with a start. The boat was shaking endlessly from side to side, but Kairi lay peacefully asleep next to him. He shook her, but she wouldn't wake. Worried, he stumbled out of bed and made his way to the door. He threw it open and fell into the hallway.

He went toward the front and entered the control room. The wheel was spinning wildly out of control, and the view showed only a pitch black punctuated by flashes of lightning that met the sea in huge waves. He tried to grasp the handles but it was spinning too fast, and he backed up and returned to the bedroom. Kairi was still fast asleep through the turmoil.

He tried to summon his keyblade, but was once again unsuccessful; worried, he used his own magic to light the orb above the bed and surveyed the room. Nothing was out of place, and it did not even seem to be moving. The boat rocked frantically but everything within stayed put. A vision of the scarred man flashed before him, and he pinched himself as if it were a dream.

Sora climbed back under the covers and pulled Kairi to him. He closed his eyes and wished that the nightmare would end, but instead his whole world turned upside-down as the boat flipped. They tumbled from the bed, and water began to seep through what used to be the ceiling. He tried to lift Kairi's unconscious form, but she was suddenly too heavy for him to bear. Collapsing with the strain, he sat in a pool of water as the room submerged.

Fighting for breath, he held their heads above the surface as a bright light flashed close by. Perhaps reaching another world was impossible, and they were destined to die out here, alone. His head swam as water filled his ears, and his eyes closed against the torrent of salty water. He sank to the bottom, his grip on Kairi loosening, and passed out.

He found himself lying below the skyscraper once more, a keyblade in each hand, staring up at the cloaked figure who hung in the air above him. His back was in immense pain, and he could hardly force his legs to stand. The man opened his mouth, but no words came out. A fuzzy sound echoed in his head, reverberating through his being.

He staggered upright, and leaped into the air. At the peak of his jump, he rose higher until he was level with the mysterious figure. The scar split his mouth into two, so that his sinister grin became a grotesque expression. Sora narrowed his eyes and swung his arm upward, striking the man in the side with the Royal Key. Yet it passed straight through and he lost his balance, falling once more to the ground.

The figure floated gently to land before him, and looked down on him with rain dripping from his hood. Sora was in so much pain that he could barely move, and for the first time in his life he felt defeated. The end was near, and the scarred man twisted his face into another hideous smile. The Royal Key lay discarded out of reach, and his own weapon had vanished from his hand.

With a flash of light that seemed familiar, Sora was lifted into the air and instantly felt renewed. He heard the voice of the King, telling him not to give up. Realising that his eyes were closed, he opened them once more and surveyed the scene below, as a small hooded figure with large ears was locked into combat with the scarred man. The Royal Key was now back in its owner's possession, and as the King knocked his adversary to the ground, he raised his hand so that a beam of energy shot towards Sora. It enveloped him, and the World That Never Was disappeared from view.

He rose, fast, and a blur of colours sped past in his peripheral vision. The towering platforms rose around him, until he was suspended above his own face once more. He took in the unrecognisable people bordering it, and noticed this time that at one end of the crossed keyblades was the scarred man. Before he could register this fact, the energy that held him there was gone, and he rose higher still and was lost in the brightest of lights.


	7. Twilight Train

Sora slowly opened his eyes. At first, everything was blurry, but he soon realised he was somewhere familiar. Sitting up, he rubbed his head and saw two people standing over him. One called out, "Hey! He's awake!"

Sora somehow found himself in Twilight Town. Pence and Olette looked at him anxiously. "Hey guys, long time no see, huh? Where's Hayner?"

"Um… well, he's not here at the moment," Olette replied.

"And Kairi!" Sora exclaimed. "I was just with her, and then…" He faltered. What _had _just happened? Who was that guy at the skyscraper? And had it all been a dream, or another vision?

Standing up and searching the small room in the back alley thoroughly, he stopped when he saw the puzzled looks on the others' faces. "What? I have to find Kairi, and Riku too. He just sort of left and we went out to find him, but now I've lost her too!"

"Um, Sora?" Olette said. "Kairi was never here. And Hayner just disappeared too, a couple of days ago. It was awful! We don't know if we'll ever see him again. It happened just after me and Pence got together."

Sora stepped back in shock. "That's exactly what happened to us! Riku and me finally made it back to the Destiny Islands after we defeated Xemnas, but one night he saw me and Kairi share a Paopu fruit, and he… left through a door that's always been sealed." He looked down at his feet and kicked at the ground.

"We can check the beach," Pence offered. "That's where we found you. You just sort of washed up when the two of us went out for the day to try and find Hayner. We even checked the station tower, but he wasn't there, and he wasn't in his house. But since we found you at the beach, Kairi could be there too! I'm sorry, we haven't seen her since she was taken by Axel when you last came here."

Sora reluctantly agreed and the three of them went outside to the sandlot. Seifer and his gang hadn't seen Hayner, Kairi or Riku either. They decided to help out with a couple of jobs to get enough money to catch the train. Sora was thankful that everyone was willing to help. Bidding goodbye to Seifer's gang, they finally set out for the station.

The day was a long one. It was warm at the beach with just a soft breeze, but Sora didn't really have his hopes up. The search was fruitless so he asked Pence and Olette if they could catch the train back. When they returned to central station, they sat up on the tower and ate sea-salt ice cream.

The view was incredible, and Sora could see almost all of Twilight Town. As he looked out toward sunset hill in the distance, he saw a strange train rolling up the tracks toward them. Blinking to make sure he wasn't seeing things, he nudged Pence and pointed.

"But that track's deserted – nothing ever comes along it! I remember it as one of the seven urban myths of Twilight Town!" Yet there was a large purple train pulling into the station beneath them. Sora hopped down and ran into the station. It was the train he had caught all that time ago with Donald and Goofy, at the beginning of their search for Riku and the King.

"Whoah…" Pence gasped. "You've been on that train before! But I don't remember it coming from sunset…" He stepped forward as the train stopped, but Sora stopped him.

"No, I'm meant to go, not you. You stay with Olette. I'm sure I'll see you both again." He made to go on the train, but the door had not opened. "What?"

A small keyhole appeared and Sora immediately understood. Summoning the keyblade, he pointed it at the keyhole and it began to glow. He almost dropped it in shock that it now worked again, but held it steady as there was a click and the door swung open. Climbing aboard, he waved out of the carriage window for a long time after the train had left the station, tears slowly forming in his eyes and dripping from his chin as he realised he really was alone.


	8. Those Who Crave Hearts

"_You accept darkness, yet choose to live in the light. So why is it that you loathe us who teeter on the edge of nothing, turned away by both light and dark?"_

"_That's simple. It's because you mess up our worlds."_

The train rolled to a stop, and with a hiss of escaping gas the door slid open. Sora stood shakily and rubbed his bloodshot eyes. He couldn't give up, just because he was alone. He had to keep going, and find Riku and Kairi. Perhaps Master Yen Sid would hold the answers.

As he stepped down outside the mysterious tower, the train instantly leapt back up the tracks and through a portal of light. The corridor closed behind it, leaving Sora on the tip of the small floating island. Hesitantly, he made his way to the tower's great doors and knocked. Before his hand made contact with the smooth wood, they opened into the entrance chamber where a spiral staircase rose infinitely above.

Remembering how all that time ago, he arrived here for the first time with Donald and Goofy, a tear almost grew to his weary eyes once more; but he steeled himself, and began to ascend. Step after endless step passed beneath his feet, until finally another door. He once again made to knock, but stopped when he heard voices in discussion from within.

"… they're infesting the pathways, cutting off the worlds – this is worse than before, I fear!"

"Hush now, Your Majesty. We have a visitor."

Sora, who had been leaning on the door to listen, stumbled into the round room and took in a familiar sight. Bookcases stacked high with all the history of magic surrounded him, but for the space for a large crescent-shaped window and the two doors leading down the staircase and out into the corridor. In almost the very centre of the room stood a long desk, which had a number of books opened out that turned pages of their own accord. Behind the desk stood the Master himself, poring over a nearby volume, and turning at the new arrival was King Mickey.

"Sora, you made it!" he called, running forward to eagerly shake his hand. "Did you not bring the others?"

As Sora struggled to find words, images flashed through his head – of Riku, vanishing through the unknown door; of Kairi, half dressed and smiling at him; of their boat, filling quickly with water. He formed a single sentence, which emerged almost as a whisper. "They're gone."

Master Yen Sid swept a single cloaked sleeve through the air and the door closed. Pages ruffled as the books on the desk closed themselves and stacked at the end, fighting for a place in the pile. He approached Sora and placed a hand upon his shoulder.

"What has happened to you, I could not have predicted. That you made it this far under the current circumstances is a miracle in itself. For while the threat has been banished from the worlds when you defeated Organization XIII, a new foe – or rather, a far older one – lurks in the very corridors between the worlds. They are called the Heart-Hungry."

The King turned to Sora and handed him a faded piece of parchment. On the scroll was drawn an image of a hooded man, distorted with age, but nevertheless with a clear scar running across his face.

"You may have seen this man in your dreams," continued Yen Sid, "because he is their creator. He will appear to any keyblade masters, and try to twist their minds with illusions. Make no mistake, he is a dangerous man."

"And what does he want with me?" asked Sora.

"We do not know his identity, but his goal is certain: he wishes to continue where Xehanort's nobody failed. To create the heart of worlds, and to absorb its power. The Heart-Hungry are curious beings, created from minds that have been distorted with lies. They endlessly seek their hearts to reconcile their false beliefs, but they did not depart with Kingdom Hearts as their original hearts were taken by the Heartless. Now they will wander the corridors of light and darkness until they find that which is irretrievable. If they are not stopped, they will lead others astray and release their hearts, creating a new Kingdom Hearts which is tainted."

"So why is this man interested in me, and how do I stop him?"

"Welp, I don't think it's just you at all," said Mickey. "In fact, the reason you lost Riku and Kairi… may well be to do with his intentions."


	9. Insanity's Call

The sky was rent apart, and the heavens opened their floodgates. Riku found himself somewhere dark and wet, and in seconds his long silver hair was plastered across his face as he walked onward in no particular direction. For a long while the anger and jealousy inside consumed him, and the dimly lit world around passed him by unnoticed.

Then he stopped. And looked. And the rain had stopped, and the night sky was visible through the clouds. And the moon was shining. The big, heart-shaped moon.

Instantly summoning his keyblade, Riku was on edge. He shook his head to clear his eyes of the damp strands of hair that hung there, and was confronted with a building that reached up to the very sky itself. At the top stood a hooded figure, and despite the distance he could make out a grin across their face.

The skyscraper was a deep crimson colour except for the top floors, which appeared to be green, matching the style of the mysterious man's outfit. The area around the building was deserted, and yet Riku felt trapped and at the same time exposed.

The figure leapt from the top and glided gently down toward him. Riku raised his keyblade before him, but the man stopped, hanging a few feet above his face. He swept back his hood and immediately his disfigured face was exposed. A long scar ran from his forehead to his chin, and Riku was repulsed by it.

"What do you want with me? Leave me alone!"

The man sneered, and drew his outstretched hand into a fist. At that moment, Riku felt a crushing sensation and his head ached from within. A voice echoed around his skull, low-pitched and menacing.

"Keep up that rage, that hatred for your friend. Let those emotions control you, and you will soon become one hungry for his heart."

Riku collapsed in agony, his hands to his head. None of what was said made sense. He struggled to form words, but only an anguished cry escaped his mouth. The keyblade dissolved in his grip, and he bent over, almost flat against the sodden ground. A loud clap of thunder heralded the return of the storm, and the man landed softly in a deep puddle before him.

He walked evenly across the surface of the rippling water, just visible in Riku's squinted vision. Then he bent down and took his head in his hands, raising it forcefully until he was nose to nose with the scarred horror. The inhuman eyes narrowed and Riku struggled to hold their gaze as the voice reverberated in his head once more.

"There is something which you desire, more than anything else. But it has been taken from you by someone you thought close, closer than anyone. He never really loved you, no more than an accomplice to aid his own success. You achieved great things together, make no mistake; but now that the fight is over, and the maiden won, he has no further need of you."

Something deep inside of Riku roared in denial. It fought against the overpowering presence until it grew weak and faint. The Truth was extinguished, and the undeniable claims became all that he knew. He must defeat Sora, and take back Kairi. This was the only way he could ever gain the recognition he deserved, and make the real Kingdom Hearts – _his _Kingdom Hearts. All this time he had been fighting it, but now it made sense: the reason he had stopped Xehanort, in all his forms, was to prevent another from claiming the ultimate power that was rightfully his.

The man laughed again, and Riku laughed with him. Insanity was an escape, something to rely on. The power of darkness seemed weak in comparison, he didn't even need to fight it. His new goal was set firmly in his mind.

And in that moment of epiphany, a new entity was born. Rising from the very puddle the hooded man stood upon grew another figure, one with long silver hair and piercing blue eyes. The pupils were mere slits the colour of tar, and he was dressed in clothes identical to Riku. The only thing that stood them apart was a symbol that seemed embroidered onto the new Riku's jacket, yet glowed from beneath his chest; one of a heart split into two that was being held together by three grasping claws.

The three men laughed maniacally in the pouring rain, at the foot of that forsaken tower in the middle of an empty nowhere. And when they had finally stopped, a smile spread across Riku's face before he passed out, slumping to the ground with a damp thud. The contorted grin passed onto the new entity, who bore sharp fangs at the corner of his mouth.

His work complete, the scarred man drew his hood over his head once more, and picked up the unconscious form before him. He thrust out his other hand, creating a portal to his left. Then he walked slowly toward the skyscraper, as the new Riku disappeared through it behind him.


	10. Preparation

"_Take me to her!"_

"_Is she that important to you?" Saïx sneered._

_Sora fought the tears coming to his eyes. "Yes. More than anything."_

The twilight glow seeped in through the crescent-shaped window, lighting up the pointed hat that bent over the desk in front of him. He looked despairingly first to the master wizard, and then to his apprentice, the King.

"So you're telling me this guy's split us up because it'll help him make Kingdom Hearts?"

"Perhaps," mused Yen Sid, "but his real motive is uncertain. While we can be sure he seeks to gain control over all emotion by creating the impure Kingdom Hearts from those without truth in their minds, the role Riku and Kairi have to play in this plan is unknown."

Sora's mind was reeling. "So your letter… how did you expect us to make it here?"

"It is true that we left you without transport, but we presumed that you would just open a portal of light with your keyblade and use the corridor to reach this tower. Your boat was a childish idea, and yet I underestimated its success. However, it put you at risk from this new threat while you were exposed, which is something I had not expected."

Sora had no further questions. As he took in all that he had learned, images of Kairi flashed through his mind; laughing on the smallest island as he reached for a Paopu fruit, eyeing him lovingly in the hut where she began to strip. And then of Riku disappearing into the door in their secret place, disappearing from his life yet again. He was alone, and did not intend to remain this way.

The King tugged at his sleeve, and he realised he had zoned out. "Are you okay there? You just sorta went blank on us."

"If that is all, young Sora," said Master Yen Sid, "you had better prepare to leave. Go into the wardrobe room, where the fairies will be more than happy to dress you up. By then I expect you shall have friends waiting to see you."

Sora bowed respectfully, and left the room through the only other door besides the one leading down endless stairs to the entrance. It ran along a small corridor pockmarked with astral symbols that acted as windows, through which he could see the tip of the island and the tracks leading back to Central Station. At the end was a set of double doors with a brass handle on each, which he grasped and pushed, hard.

He almost stumbled into the round room beyond, where he found himself facing six paintings that had previously been covered. One was of himself in a red outfit, wielding two keyblades. Similarly, a golden costume was in the next, and then a white one where the keyblades seemed to be floating around him. In the fourth he was dressed entirely in blue, with a single weapon pointed forward like a gun, and the fifth was grey and red. He stopped at the final picture, which was a deep blue-black, and his eyes were mere slits that glowed eerily from his shadowed face. Suddenly a flash of red appeared, and the fairy Flora greeted him.

"My dear, you have returned!"

The three kind fairies assembled before him, and instantly began to survey his clothing, Fauna finding a tape measure while Merryweather scrawled notes. He stood in wonder as they worked, still speechless. The eyes in the last painting seemed to follow him as he turned around, surveying the rest of the room. In his peripheral vision a red and yellow blur sped past the single window, but before he could query it, he was struck with a spell.

As a tall mirror sprung up against the wall, he felt a lifting sensation and his clothes began to shift shape and form. The rejuvenating energy spread through him until all the sorrow and aching had left, and he was eager for adventure once more.

He looked in the mirror, and gasped in awe as his entire outfit had changed. The fairies seemed pleased with their results, and they had barely argued at all. He now wore a grey sleeveless parka with a dark hood that met halfway down his chest and zipped to his waist. His crown necklace hung over a short-sleeved crimson shirt with blue detailing that depicted a keyhole. His sleeveless gloves were replaced with ones of elbow-length design, while his shorts were transformed into tight jeans of the kind Riku used to wear. His dark blue boots were laced up to his shins.

"Thanks, guys," said Sora in wonder. "Whatever that magic was… I think I needed it."

"We're always glad to help, dear. Now you'd best return to Master Yen Sid before he wonders what's keeping you!"

With one last glance at the dark painting in the corner, he left the room and made it half way down the corridor before a familiar sound reached his ears. Sprinting the remaining distance, he burst into the study and tears of joy formed to his eyes when they found Donald Duck and Goofy, standing to attention beside their King.

"Sora!" they called in unison, and the three embraced.

"It looks like we're goin' on another mission," said Goofy.

What had gone past the window while Sora was being re-clothed was in fact the trusty Gummi ship, which looked more resplendent than ever. The crescent window had swung open outwards, and a row of steps led up to the door hatch.

"Beware," said Yen Sid, "of the Heart-Hungry. It seems you must visit other worlds, to check that these monsters have not found their way in. On your search, keep your wits about you; I have granted you a new power, which you will discover soon enough."

"Gawrsh, I wonder what that is?" whispered Goofy to Donald.

"Stop being so nosy!"

The three friends laughed and entered their ship once more, and the steps began to retract with a metallic hiss.

"I wonder if they'll be alright?" asked Mickey as the final glimmer of jet engines disappeared into the distance. The old wizard turned back to his books, and a smile almost broke through his wrinkled face.


End file.
